On Friday, leaders from across Pennsylvania descended on New York City for the second annual Pennsylvania Leaders Connection, a special reception hosted by the AL DÍA Foundation, and presented by Wells Fargo, during Pennsylvania Society Weekend.

More than 150 political figures, business leaders and community leaders were in attendance, including Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey, incoming Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. They joined many others in an evening of food, music and networking, to highlight the region’s diversity, and to “bolster the Latino voice.”

Vice President of Community Relations at Wells Fargo, Tiffany Tavarez, reflected on the diversity present in the room as part of her opening remarks.

“I am honored to be in a room that reflects what this country looks like,” she said. “The nation's 57 million Latinos are about 17 percent of the nation. If you look at our elected officials you cannot tell.”

Tavarez proceeded to introduce her colleague, Anthony Rosado, a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo, and also an AL DÍA Foundation trustee. Rosado echoed Tavarez’s sentiment on diversity.

“Tonight's gathering has a lot to do with pride. Pride with being Latino, pride with being a Pennsylvanian,” he said.

“One of the places we need to raise our voice is in the media,” he continued. “The point is to tell our own story, not have others tell it for us. We need to have our own narrative.”

The AL DÍA Media Educational Foundation seeks to empower disadvantaged students and recent graduates to join the media landscape in Philadelphia, and beyond. The Foundation offers a “Felix Varela” Fellowship award for Latinos pursuing a career in journalism, in honor of Father Félix Varela y Morales, who founded one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the country, here in Philadelphia in 1823.

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After remarks by AL DÍA founder and CEO Hernán Guaracao, local Councilman Kenyatta Johnson addressed the attendees.

“It's real journalism, it's not fake news,” he said of AL DÍA. “Your journalists are out in the community, making sure not only the Latino community has a voice, but all communities have one.”

He then introduced Councilwoman, Maria Quiñones-Sanchez.

“Hopefully we are networking, breaking down these barriers and getting to know each other,” she said.

She added that she hopes for a “respectful political debate, which we are missing in Washington, [but that] doesn't mean we can't have it in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.”

Next year, on November 16, 2019, the AL DÍA Foundation will be hosting a Gala Celebration for its Felix Varela y Morales Awards.